What Should I Do If I Am in a Bus Accident?
Many bus accidents mainly involve children, who mostly cannot be expected to do things like gather evidence or handle the medical care needs of injured people. But if you are an adult in a bus accident, such as a chaperone on a school bus or a traveler on a Greyhound, those two activities are exactly the tasks you need to perform. Obviously, you want to make sure that everyone involved in the wreck gets appropriate medical attention. It is always a good idea to call the police so that they can document the event in an official crash report, but you only need to call an ambulance if someone is hurt. After that, the preservation of evidence should be high on your list of priorities. With more evidence, an attorney stands a better chance of getting you the compensation you deserve.
our firm is an experienced bus accident law firm in Dallas that can help you win your case. We have worked with clients who were injured in a wide variety of accident types, so we know what to look for, how to structure a successful claim, which avenues to pursue for compensation, and how local attorneys typically negotiate. After securing safety and preserving any evidence at the scene of the crash, your next step should be to call us so that we can get on the case right away.
Safety is the Most Important Task
After a bus accident, you should call an ambulance if anyone is seriously injured. See to the condition of everyone involved in the wreck to confirm that everyone is okay, and get to a safe spot away from the accident and off the roadway. This is important so that you are not at risk for another crash. In the hours or days following the accident, you should seek medical care even if you do not feel particularly injured.
Why I Should Always See a Doctor
Some injuries, such as internal bleeding, are not readily apparent in the immediate aftermath of a bus accident. You may decide that you do not need to get medical care, and the adrenaline you feel after a wreck can mask any pain that is present. Days later, you may begin to feel serious discomfort and, after finally visiting a doctor, find out that you have a significant injury. Not only does this mean you lost some days of possible treatment, but it gives the insurance company a reason to fight your claim.
As part of its many “tricks of the trade” used to deny the claims of injured people, the insurance industry often targets gaps in treatment. Since you did not discover your injury until days or weeks after the bus accident, they can claim, your injury was not actually caused by the bus accident. With such a gap, it is much more difficult to prove that the bus accident is what caused your injury—a vital part of getting compensation. By seeing a doctor soon after your accident, you can catch any potential hidden injury, start treatment to get better, and document the fact that the injury occurred as a result of the crash.
Evidence I Should Gather
At the scene of the bus accident, your main task will be to gather evidence that will eventually support your claim. In addition to the police crash report, you will want to gather as much of the following types of evidence as possible.
- Eyewitness’ names and contact information
- Locations of surveillance or traffic cameras that may have captured the incident
- Opposing drivers’ insurance and contact information
- Photos of the scene, including all property damage
- Photos or records of the weather, if weather is relevant to the accident
Meeting With an Attorney
Finally, you should get in touch with a skilled Dallas bus accident attorney as soon as you can following your wreck. Bring with you important and relevant items like the evidence you collected, your medical records to aid in the recovery of economic damages, bills or receipts from expenses like car repairs or rentals, statements from your family members about the effect the wreck has had on you, and anything else you think is relevant to the case.
our firm bus accident lawyers will use this information to evaluate the validity of your claim, its potential value, and possible avenues for compensation (such as the opposing driver, the bus company, or even the government).
I Can Get a FREE Consultation
As a dedicated bus accident law firm in Dallas, our firm has worked with numerous injured clients over the years. We have seen the burdens that are often placed on injured people and their families, and we want to help you seek the justice you deserve. That is why we provide all clients with a FREE consultation and work on a contingency basis—we don’t get paid unless and until you get paid!
Schedule your consultation with our firm today by calling 469-998-4069 or entering your information into the form on our contact page.
